


not quite a vegas wedding

by Drapetomania, tothebitterbetterend



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Adaptation, Alive Claudia Stilinski, Alive Hale Family, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Movie Fusion, Engagement, Fluff, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Moving In Together, POV Alternating, Sharing a Bed, Waiter Stiles Stilinski, Wedding Rings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-08
Updated: 2016-08-08
Packaged: 2018-08-07 10:26:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7711459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Drapetomania/pseuds/Drapetomania, https://archiveofourown.org/users/tothebitterbetterend/pseuds/tothebitterbetterend
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Seriously. Think about it. What could possibly be more romantic than throwing away your entire life and running off with some handsome, dark-haired stranger you spotted across a restaurant?”</p><p>Wedding Daze (movie) Adaptation AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	not quite a vegas wedding

 

“I’m not going on a blind date,” Derek hissed at Cora, biting angrily into his pizza. He was already halfway through the family-sized meal and glared at his sister. He should’ve known she was up to something as soon as she started insisting on taking him out for lunch. Now, he was sat in the middle of a diner full of people, trapped. The last thing he wanted was to make a scene in public. He hated being the center of attention, and Cora very well knew that. This was all a part of her plan. Derek wouldn’t be surprised if she had secretly invited a potential suitor.

 

“Come  _ on _ , Derek. What’s so bad about one little date? You could just go watch a movie. You love movies,” she argued.

 

“I can watch a movie perfectly fine at home by myself,” Derek grunted. He didn’t need anyone talking to and distracting him while he was trying to enjoy himself. He didn’t need anyone cuddling up against him and holding his hand like  _ she _ had.

 

“You spend way too much time by yourself; at home and in the preserve. You need some company.”

 

“I’m not lonely,” Derek snapped, probably a bit too quickly to sound true. But who was he kidding? He could hear the stutter in his heart himself. Sighing at the look he got from Cora, he turned to look out of the window. “I- have the pack. I don’t need to be with someone to be happy.”

 

“But you’re not happy now.” Her tone was soft and gentle and it was exactly that that made Derek grind his teeth. Everyone was pitying him. They could sense his discontent and were trying to fix it when he didn’t want anyone dealing with his personal business. “You need to get over Paige-“ Derek had to fight the urge to wince at the name “-and the only way that will happen is if you move on and try dating someone new.”

 

“I am over it, Cora. Drop it,” Derek said through his teeth, swallowing a growl. He’d almost let it slip, too used to allowing his wolf free reign at home.

 

“Why do you refuse to socialize outside of the pack then?” Cora asked. “You dropped out of university two months before finishing, left all your friends behind and you hide in the preserve, away from everyone. It’s been a year, Derek. A full year – since you came back here and started to sulk. How long do you plan on doing this?”

 

Derek just glared at her in reply, having half a mind to just get up and walk away. Nonetheless, he stayed, his gaze hard and mouth pressed together in a tight line.

 

“Look, I'm just saying, don't throw your whole life away because of an ex-girlfriend,” Cora said in a last desperate attempt to get through to him.

 

“Fiancé,” Derek corrected. “You have no idea what that’s like, okay?”

 

“Technically, she never said yes,” Cora threw in, earning another hard glare from Derek.

 

“That’s not the point.” He hunched up angrily and busied himself with his pizza in the hope that Cora would drop the topic. He couldn’t just forget about it, though. He didn’t know if he could ever get over it. Paige was the first person outside of the pack that he had truly felt love for, a romantic one at that. He had thought she was his mate, which is why he had proposed to her, swearing his undying love to her after – only to find out that she didn’t want anything serious with him.

 

He’d worn his heart on his sleeve. He was not about to go out and do it again.

 

“People fall in love tons of times in their lives. Just look around. Maybe there's another perfect somebody out there,” Cora suggested. Seeing as she wasn’t letting this go, Derek decided to humor her and let his gaze sweep through the diner. He saw tired faces, greasy hair, everyone too old, too young or with children. None of them were Paige.

 

A lanky waiter walked out from the kitchen, surprisingly not seeming to struggle with the weight of the food he was carrying. Derek watched him get his orders mixed up and smile uncomfortably at the couple who were arguing about how to handle their squirming son. He was trying to be patient and polite, and he slid the plate of spaghetti in front of the boy, asking if there was anything else they would be needing. The parents didn’t acknowledge him at all as they bickered and the man cleared his throat in attempt to get their attention. It was the seven-year- old who found a way to startle his parents out of their argument when he grabbed a fistful of spaghetti and threw it – smack dab in the waiter’s face.

 

A startled sound escaped from the man and his cheeks flare up as he brushed the strands off and rubbed self-consciously at the sauce stains. His jaw clenched visibly as his eyes swept the diner, ultimately locking with Derek’s. He received a small smile that was so sweet he felt something stir in his chest, drying his throat up the same way Paige was capable of doing. It only occurred to Derek that he was staring when the waiter turned back to the table in front of him. Derek rolled his shoulders and dismissed any blossoming thoughts, stubbornly avoiding Cora’s gaze.

 

“Satisfied? I looked around,” he grumbled, lifting the slice of pizza to his lips and stuffing as much as he could into his mouth. 

 

Cora sighed. “You need to actually put in some effort if you want to get anywhere,” she told him, just as hard-headed and unwilling to back down from her goal.

 

“So is that it? Is that all? You want me to try?” Derek asked, squaring his shoulders as he met her eyes again.

 

“One time. That's all I'm saying.” Cora spread her arms in a helpless shrug.

 

“One time. I try and you get off my back,” Derek proposed. Feigning interested in someone and getting blown off was easy. If that was all he had to do to get her to stop, he could march over to the nearest table that second.

 

“You have my solemn word.”

 

“Fine,” Derek concluded, holding out his hand so they could shake on the deal. “Fine, Cora. I'll give it a shot.”

 

“Hey. Can I get you guys anything else?” 

 

Derek lifted his head at the new voice and saw that the waiter he had spotted earlier had come to stand at their table with a polite smile. For some reason, the smile didn’t look forced in any way, which was quite a feat. Derek surely wouldn’t be smiling if he were in his shoes. His eyes were compellingly dark in contrast to the pale skin. He had kind of a button nose and soft-looking pink lips above a smooth jaw line. Derek followed the track of moles from his jaw down along his neck before his eyes snapped back up to the bright eyes. He couldn't tell what exactly was so mesmerizing about this guy but he made the words die on his tongue.

 

“This is it,” Cora murmured, barely moving her lips so the human wouldn't hear. Derek glanced over to find her smirking and moved his foot away when she kicked him lightly even though that didn't put it out of the danger zone.

 

“Get back on the horse,” she said and Derek wanted to protest simply out of principle. He wanted to argue that he wasn't even interested in this guy. Who even did that - flirt with people while they were waiting in a diner? He refused to get flustered though.

 

The waiter was starting to get uneasy, rocking on his feet and tapping his notepad, his gaze flitting between the two people who were just staring at each other silently.

 

“Um, is there anything else I can get for you?” He pursed his lips. The pheromones coming off of him indicated rising anxiety. Cora’s eyes were still fixed on Derek, shining eagerly, daring him, and he huffed. He could play that game too. 

 

Without so much as straightening in his seat, he turned toward the man and said, “Will you marry me?”

 

“I-…wha- um, excuse me?”

 

“Will you marry me?” Derek repeated, keeping up his sincere expression and bracing himself for a rejection from the cute stranger.

 

~~~~~

 

Stiles heard the words,  _ will you marry me? _ and for a moment, he felt lost. This...hot as sin guy was  _ what _ ? Then, his mind did a goddamn Pavlovian, jumping back to the night before. 

 

_ They were at his parent’s place for a game night. Stiles was sitting on the couch, watching his father’s arms flap around while his mom and girlfriend tried to guess.  _

 

_ “Deliverance,” Heather cried, a note of triumph in her tone as she jumped up and high-fived his dad.  _

 

_ Honestly, Stiles thought, fighting down a sudden flash of irritation. It wasn’t like this was some special occasion. It was their weekly tradition for God’s sake, playing charades and Heather won majority of the time. He tried to peek quickly at the nearby clock -- could he beg off, claiming he had work early the next morning? -- but a pointed cough dragged him away from that thought.  _

 

_ “Now, I need everyone to pay close attention to me,” Heather said with a look towards him, “but especially you, good sir.” Stiles adopted the ‘model student’ pose as best he could and looked directly at her.  _

 

_ Drawing in a deep breath, Heather raised both her thumbs towards herself and wriggled them.  _

 

_ “Uh, uh... Self!” His dad guessed and Heather gestured for them to keep guessing a little more. “Me,” was the next guess.  _

 

_ Heather nodded empathically and then pointed her index fingers at him with a flourish.  _

 

_ “You...” His mom guessed.  _

 

_ As Heather walked towards him, hand reaching into her back pocket, Stiles’ vision blurred.  _

_ The next thing Stiles saw was her kneeling, a ring box in her palm, and a simple gold band catching beautifully under the light of the living room.  _

 

_ “Will you marry me?” She asked softly. _

 

_ Stiles could only gape like a fish at her. What the fuck. Trying to answer, he opened his mouth... _

 

_ ~~~~~ _

 

_ His mind was still stuck on the word “marry”, bouncing around like a ping-pong ball in his brain in a never-ending loop.  _

 

_ “Stiles,” his mom called, dragging him out of his reverie. “Do you want to talk about what just happened? Did you see her face before she left? I mean, it was so crestfallen, the poor girl--” _

 

_ “Mooommmm,” Stiles whined. “I didn’t even reject her. All I said was I needed some time to think. Haven’t you always said I needed to think things through more?” _

 

_ The corners of Claudia’s mouth turned up. “Impulsivity and this are two very different things, honey. You know that.” _

 

_ He sighed. He did know. He just... “I’m just unsure if we’re the right fit,” he admitted. _

 

_ How could he explain there was a spark missing between them. That somewhere along the line the excitement sort of just fizzled out. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't see this sort of long-term future with her. Even if she was the only one so far who could deal with his constant spazzy-ness... _

 

~~~~~

 

“Will you marry me?” Derek repeated. “Seriously. Think about it. What could possibly be more romantic than throwing away your entire life and running off with some handsome, dark-haired stranger you spotted across a restaurant?”

 

“I'm sorry. He's had a lot of syrup,” Cora jumped in, huffing out a laugh in an attempt to save the situation. Derek could see the wheels turning in the waiter’s head as time passed and he still hadn’t answered. He was starting to tense up. If there had been any part of him that thought there was the slightest possibility of getting a yes in reply, he never would've asked. There should have been a laugh, loud and hearty, or an exclamation of his craziness without any hesitation whatsoever.

 

Instead, the waiter licked his lips and heaved a breath, his eyes never leaving Derek’s eyes. “Okay,” he answered. 

 

“Okay, he's had a lot of syrup? That’s what you mean, right?” Cora asked, startled.

 

“Okay, I'll marry you,” The waiter clarified.

 

”What?” Derek sputtered out.

 

“Yes. I'll marry you!” The waiter laughed, face brightening as he turned to the waitress on the other end of the room. He yelled, “Erica! Will you cover for me?”

 

“Where're you going?” she called back.

 

“I'm getting married! To this guy!” 

 

Derek was suddenly being hauled to his feet and could faintly hear the diner applauding for them. He sent Cora a helpless look. He had been so sure this was a foolproof plan. What had he done?

 

“Come on. Come on!” The waiter tugged on his arm and Derek complied, getting out of his seat and following. Cora shrugged at his silent pleas for help.

 

“Go. Get out of here. I’ve got the bill,” she said leaving him to his own weak defenses. “At least he's socializing.” He heard her murmur to herself. “Even if it's with a nut job.”

 

~~~~~

 

As Stiles pulled the guy out of the diner, he squeezed his forearm, marveling at how firm it was. The guy had to be made of pure  _ fricking _ muscle, which was something Stiles was definitely 100% onboard for. And he had the most gorgeous eyes ever - what color were they even? Green? Gold? Hazel? They kept changing colors, which was  _ unfairly hot _ .

 

When he looked back at the guy, he was also staring at where Stiles’ hand connected with his arm, eyebrows -  _ wow _ , were they thick - raised. Stiles removed his hand and shoved it in the pocket of his jeans. The guy’s eyebrows returned to their original position. 

 

Damn, he couldn’t believe this was actually happening. He was eloping with a complete stranger! It was possible that this was  the most impulsive thing he’d ever done, and he wasn’t kidding about his impulse control, or rather, lack thereof. 

 

What was he doing? Part of him was yelling that he was stepping into the unknown, and he might just fall off the cliff at any moment. How could they be sure they were suited for each other, or if they could even  _ stand _ each other? But, a tiny voice from the depths of his mind reminded him how he’d always wished for some spontaneity and craved a little adventure. The need itched at him. It wasn’t as if Heather was bad or anything... it was just that she could be too stable sometimes.  _ Boring _ . 

 

What an 180 ° turn his life had taken in the last twelve hours.  Just the night before, he’d been proposed to by the person he’d been dating for 2 years, and now...he was getting married to  _ someone he’d only just met _ . Hold up... Heather!

 

“Oh  _ shit _ , what do I tell Heather? I mean, this is exciting. I’m getting married. Can you believe that?” At this point, he was fully aware that he was rambling, but he was on a roll and he couldn't stop. “And my parents. Oh, my god. Would I just say, ‘Oh hey mom, dad, I’m getting married. To... to this guy.’” 

 

He finished lamely with a vague gesture toward his current fiance, suddenly realizing they hadn’t even been introduced.

 

The guy must’ve realized at the same time, because he blurted out, “Uh, Derek. Derek Hale.” 

 

And then he  _ smiled _ . It was on his face for a split second, but, jeez, if Stiles thought the guy - Derek - was no chore to look at before he smiled, now, he was absolutely stunning. He’d definitely have no problem with this marriage, at least on the attraction front. For a while, he could only stare at Derek.

 

Until he realized Derek was waiting for him to respond. Crap, how long had he been gazing at him? “I’m Stiles Stilinski,” he rushed out. “Well, it’s not my real name but no one knows my real name except for the ‘rents and Scott. Maybe I should tell you what it is since we’re getting hitched and all but...that can wait.”

 

Too late, he registered that once again his mouth had run off. 

 

“Well, um, it’s nice to meet you...I guess,” Derek said weakly, and wow wasn’t that  _ just _ the way to make a positive impression on his future husband? 

 

Silence lapsed between them. Stiles’ mouth itched to fill it with his inane rambling, but Derek probably wouldn’t appreciate it. He seemed the broody, silent type. His mind went back to earlier in the diner when that kid had thrown a freaking handful of spaghetti straight in his face. After he wiped the bolognese sauce from his face, he’d looked around the diner, hoping no one had witnessed the embarrassing scene. 

 

No one had - well, except for Derek. The first thing he noticed about Derek wasn’t actually his superior bone structure, nor how well-fitted his Henley was - oops, his subconscious must have noticed  _ those _ , good job, subconscious. Instead, it was the guy’s eyebrows. Derek probably didn’t even realize, but his eyebrows were furrowed together, forming a deep vee. They made his face all growly. Still, when Stiles flashed a flustered smile at him, he quickly turned back, but not before Stiles saw the pink flush turning his cheeks, which, wow, adorable much?

 

Thinking of those eyebrows, Stiles hadn’t realized he’d said out loud, “They could probably form their own country.” 

 

Derek let out a startled, “What?”

 

He decided that Derek wouldn’t slaughter him for saying it, at least in  _ public _ , so he said, “Your eyebrows. I noticed them first in the diner. They looked pissed off, ready to revolt from your face, claim independence, and start their own nation.”

 

Derek’s reaction was so comical, Stiles had to stop walking to focus on not laughing. Derek’s eyebrows did a little dance - first they went up high, then one came down before the other followed. Stiles knew he wasn’t doing a great job at hiding his laughter, so to deflect, he looped his arm around Derek’s, and said teasingly, “Come on, let’s head to the park.  _ Much _ better scenery there.”

 

~~~~~

 

As Derek followed Stiles to the park, he couldn’t help but look at him. What kind of name was  _ Stiles,  _ anyway? Throughout the short walk, Stiles babbled incessantly, not giving Derek a chance to weigh in on the conversation. Not even Laura talked this much. 

 

To be quite honest, he didn’t mind. He’d been branded as “too quiet for his own good” and he often found himself letting conversations lapse into terrible, awkward silences. At least Stiles filled those gaps in, not seeming to care that by this point, he was pretty much carrying out a monologue and Derek was as good as an eggplant in the conversation.   
  


"Did you say Stilinski?" Derek belated. "As in-"   


  
"Sheriff Stilinski? Yeah, we're related. Pretty closely in fact..."   
  


Derek raised an eyebrow in question.   
  


"He's my dad. Yes, I'm the Sheriff's son. But hold on!" Stiles threw his hands up. "Don't let that fool you. I'm not some boring, old, goody two shoes or- or this strict, law-abiding perfect person. I'm really not."   


  
"I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not," Derek mumbled.   


  
"What's that supposed to mean?"   


  
"Well... If you have good connections to the station and are not law abiding, who knows what kind of things you could get away with. Maybe you could kill me and never get charged for it."   
  


Stiles rolled his eyes at that and Derek almost cringed at himself in retrospect. There he went being obvious about his trust issues. But then Stiles laughed and he found his shoulders relaxing at the sound.    
  


"Okay. Fair enough. I abide by the law most of the time, and I don't go as far as killing people. I have borrowed the cruiser once or twice and looked into certain files of my concern. Did a few things here and there in school... But I promise I won't kill you." He sent Derek a proud smile, heart beating steady and smooth. At least Derek didn't have to worry about Stiles possibly turning into a hunter when he found out about the werewolf factor.   
  


"Still not sure how I feel about you going through police files but alright. It's not like I have a record for you to pry into," Derek nodded.   
  


"Oh really? No unpaid parking tickets or something? Never caught speeding?"   
  


"I don't speed," Derek blanched.   
  


"Everyone speeds," Stiles said, shaking his head. "The question is only if you get caught or not."   
  


"Well, I don't." 

 

This time, it was Stiles raising his eyebrows. "And nothing else either? No petty teenage shoplifting or underage drinking? Trespassing? Vandalism?"   
  


"What do you take me for?" Derek huffed, appalled at the accusations. He couldn't help but square his shoulders in defense. It seemed that his current fiancé, his first real fiancé, didn’t have the best impression of him, or simply had little faith in humanity in general. He also had no real filter. It meant he was honest, if anything, but Derek wondered how many people he pissed off every day.   
  


"Hey, it's not my fault. You totally look the part with that leather jacket and the angry scowl. You're telling me you're not the hot bad boy you look like?"   
  


_Hot_. That was the word Derek tripped on, ears burning before he even managed to catch himself. His arm had flown out, hand scraping on the bark of the tree and he coughed.   
  


"Woah, woah, easy. Are you okay?" Stiles came rushing to his aid, a hand on his elbow and the other on the small of his back. The warmth burned through the leather.

 

"Fine," Derek said, straightening and shying from the touch. He could feel the blush spreading to his cheeks like a fire.   
  


"Yeah?" Stiles said, the hand on his elbow lingering for a moment as his eyes skimmed along Derek's form. "Did you hurt your hand?"   
  


"No, I'm good. Really." Derek hoped he sounded convincing. He curled his fingers into a fist to hide the healing scrape from sight. All he really wanted to do now was disappear from shame. 

 

Stiles eventually stepped out of his space again with a light hum. "Okay. Good. Good. So..."   
  


"So," Derek said lamely.   
  


"Is this going to be part of our story then?"   
  


"What?"   
  


"Like, when we tell our kids about us one day. Are we going to mention you tripping over the first time I called you hot?"   
  


Derek almost tripped again and glanced over to Stiles to find him grinning cheekily.

 

~~~~~

 

Today turned out to be pretty decent. The walk with Derek took them through the park, and then after, the graveyard. Derek hadn’t even commented when he suggested going to the graveyard. He just snarked back with a  _ How romantic. I bet you do this on every first date _ , which Stiles appreciated. Stiles wasn’t a creep or anything; the graveyard was just...fascinating. He even managed to snag a coil of wire that he figured he could fashion into a ring when Derek was busy gazing at the surroundings, just to prove to Derek how  _ romantic _ he could be. Derek snorted in anticipation.

 

_ Shit _ , speaking of rings, he had to clear out his things from Heather’s place. Checking the time, he was relieved that she hadn’t been let off her late-shift work yet. Maybe he could drop by and gather his things quick so he didn’t have to deal with explaining all this in person? He could just call her later. It was probably less awkward that way...right?

 

Crap, how much time did he have? Whipping out his phone, he went to his favorites list on his contacts and pressed the third option. Luckily, he only had to wait for a few rings before Scott answered. 

 

“Scotty, Scotty,” Stiles said desperately. “You gotta help me out, bro...”

 

“Stiles, you’re going to have to repeat everything again,” Scott said, a note of disbelief clearly evident in his tone. “I don’t think I heard you,”   

 

Stiles rolled his eyes, knowing Scott heard him loud and clear. There was no way he hadn’t with his werewolf hearing superpower. “Ha ha, Scott. Just for the benefit of your slow-ass brain, I’ll repeat it. I need your superpowers to come help me move out of Heather’s okay?  _ Before _ she gets back, so could you please stop asking questions and get your ass over?” 

 

Scott sighed and Stiles knew that he’d agreed.

 

An hour and a half later - Stiles had never been so grateful for Scotty’s wolfy powers before - they were finally done. Three boxes of Stiles’ things were packed neatly away by the door, ready to move to a new life. As Stiles looked around the relatively small ( _ cozy _ ) apartment for what was likely the last time, a little bit of nostalgia crept in. This place had been pretty awesome. 

 

Then Scott dragged him away from his thoughts. “Stiles. I  _ still _ can’t believe that you went ahead and got engaged.  _ While _ still dating Heather. I know technically you didn’t want to accept her proposal, but...” 

 

At that, Stiles felt more than a twinge of guilt. Whatever Heather was, she had always been more than accepting of him, and she didn’t deserve this. He made a mental note to talk to her properly. 

 

Scott continued in his rant. “I mean, we haven’t even gotten to how you got engaged. A diner proposal? And to Derek freaking Hale? Do you even know who he is or anything about his family?” 

 

“I know the Hales!” Stiles pointed out, “I know for sure they’re nice people, my dad speaks highly of Talia.” He trailed off then, not knowing much else about them.  

 

“Scott,” Stiles pleaded. “So what if I don’t know Derek that well? Isn’t that the point of marriage to  _ get to know _ each other?”

 

At that, Scott sighed. “Get to know each other  _ better _ , not from scratch. But more importantly, you  _ do _ like him, don’t you, Stiles? I mean, you don’t hate him and you could see you two together in the future?”

 

Stiles couldn’t help but smile. That was so typical of Scott, a romantic at heart. “Yes, Scott. We talked for the most of the afternoon and he’s pretty alright. He’s quieter than Heather, but I think that’d be a good change, to be honest. This apartment ended up being noisy a lot of the time, from our constant yelling. Plus, we haven’t tried to kill each other yet, so that should be a good sign right?” Stiles joked. “Anyway, are you finished with mothering me, because if you remember, we’re the same age dude. If you are, I need your awesome muscles to carry the boxes down to Roscoe.”

 

“I knew you just kept me around for my superpowers.” Scott snorted but went to pick up two of the boxes anyway.

 

“Wow, you finally figured out my master diabolic plan, huh,” Stiles shot back, picking up the last box. 

 

Halfway down the stairs, Scott stopped abruptly. “Wait, where are you going to stay tonight? I’m assuming not your parents’ place?”

 

“Oh fish sticks, I completely forgot about that,” Stiles groaned. “Can I stay with you? Pretty please with a cherry on topppppp. We can play Warcraft together like we used to!”

 

“Fine, alright, but just because you used Warcraft, you manipulative ass.”

 

“You’re the absolute  _ best _ , bro!”

 

When they reached the car, Stiles thunked his head against the side of the box. “Double  _ crap _ , I how am I going to explain everything to my  _ parents _ .” 

 

When Scott’s only response was to laugh at him, Stiles glared at him.

 

“Let’s just get your stuff to my place then we’ll figure it out,” Scott said.

 

Stiles’ groan, this time, was muffled but still audible. 

 

~~~~~

 

Cora was waiting for Derek when he got back home, leaning against the doorframe that lead to the living room with her arms crossed. Derek shut the door and toed off his shoes, lining them up against the wall.

 

“So, how’d your little date go?” She asked when he didn’t offer any information. She followed him into the kitchen, hopping up onto the counter while he grabbed the juice out of the fridge.

 

“I wouldn’t call it a date,” Derek said. All they had done was gone for a walk. They even ended up strolling through a graveyard. It was the weirdest first encounter he had had with anyone so far, very different from any date he’d ever had.

 

“I want to hear all about this date,” Laura yelled and came scampering into the room a few seconds later. She smirked, waggling her eyebrows. “I heard my baby bro got kidnapped by a cute stranger.”

 

“It wasn’t a date,” Derek insisted.

 

“But he was cute then?” Laura asked. Derek busied himself by pouring some juice, trying to ignore his sisters’ snickering behind his back.

 

“He was cute. In a dorky kind of way,” Cora answered for him.

 

“Do you have a picture of him? What did he look like?” Laura asked. She demanded his glass with a grabby hand. He let her have it as he grimaced at her.

 

“Why would I have a picture?”

 

“His profile picture? Don’t tell me you didn’t even exchange contact information. The poor boy. I hope you at least let him down easy.”

 

“You said you would try. You could’ve at least exchanged numbers… Even though it’s probably better this way. He seemed a little… you know,” Cora said, bringing up a finger and circling it near her temple.

 

“He’s not crazy,” Derek scowled. 

 

Sometimes Derek hated his sisters. What did they know anyway? Stiles was rash and loud and impulsive and he knew all that from spending just a few hours with him but he also turned out to be easy to talk to and funny and very good with kids. Derek could see him getting along with his young cousins very well. He even had a suspicion that he could stand up to Laura and Peter, which not even Derek could do. Stiles might not be his mate but he would make a suiting husband. Derek had stopped believing in mates anyway.

 

“He accepted the marriage proposal and wanted to run off into the sunset with you,” Cora said.

 

“I’m the one who proposed in the first place,” Derek pointed out.

 

“Aw, I think our little Der-bear is actually falling in love again,” Laura cooed, sidling up to him, genuine happiness mixed into her amused tone.

 

“This has nothing to do with love.” He brushed her off, taking the glass from her again and moving to rinse it in the sink. “We’re just getting married. That’s it.”

 

“Woah, hold up. You can’t be serious,” Cora burst out.

 

“Marriage is a serious matter, Cora.”

 

“Yes, which is exactly why you can’t just marry a random stranger. You exchange numbers first. Go on a few dates. Take him to a fair and see what he says to rides and funnel cake. Watch horror movies to find out his opinion on supernatural stuff. Invite him over to meet the pack… You can’t just up and marry him.” Cora worked herself into a rant. 

 

Laura leaned back, folding her arms. She watched Derek closely and he almost started doubting the plan he had worked out with Stiles.

 

“Why not?  I already know he loves everything that’s fried and lives for the adrenaline rush, and believes in folklore. You know, I think this is exactly what I need to get my life back on track. I mean, why can't two strangers get married?” 

 

This way, he wouldn’t have to worry about meeting someone and figuring out how to date them for a while. Stiles had proved to be a quick and clever thinker. They would make it work.

 

“I don't know. Because it's dumb?”

 

“Look, you said it yourself. You said I need to get back out there and meet people. Right? So...” Derek shrugged.

 

“Yeah, meet! Meet! Not marry! Why can't you just date him for a while like a normal person?”

 

“Look, don't worry. Okay? It's not... You know, it's not like we're getting married today. We talked about it, and we decided to take things slow.”

 

“So what's next?”

 

“He's moving in. Tomorrow. I gotta go prepare.” Derek left his sisters in a stunned silence and trudged up to his room, past Peter, who had a calculating expression on his face. He was probably judging him just as hard as his siblings but Derek didn’t let that bother him.

 

~~~~~

 

“You have arrived at your destination,” intoned the GPS voice. What? Stiles was in the middle of the woods, how could Derek live here...in a huge-ass house? 

 

Stiles slammed his car door shut, looked up and gave a double-take. When he said he’d move in with Derek, he certainly didn’t expect this. Jeez, how many people  _ lived _ here? It had to be suited for at least 8 people, but Stiles had had no idea Derek’s family was that big. 

 

Well, at least he couldn’t claim to be bored anymore, Stiles thought as he lugged each box up the steps to the front door, what with so many people being in the house.

 

Standing at the front door, he was suddenly filled with a surge of nervous anticipation, and it was with trepidation that he rang their doorbell. What if Derek’s family hated him on sight? What if the reason they had such a big house in the woods was so that they could kill him in his sleep and--

 

The front door opened, revealing a pretty woman with dark hair. For a moment, they stared at each other, before the woman smirked and said, “You must be Stiles. Boy, Cora  _ was _ right, you’re cute.” 

 

Stiles blinked at her, too stunned to respond. Before he could say anything, the woman turned her head towards the stairwell behind her and yelled, “Baby bro, your  _ dearest _ has arrived!” and faced him again.

 

Oh. So that must be -- “Laura,” the woman said, “Derek’s older and way hotter sister.” Then she pulled him into a tight hug. 

 

“Welcome to the family,” she said, muffled against his shoulder.

 

“Um,” was Stiles only response, “thanks, I guess?” He patted her back awkwardly.

 

There was a groan from inside the house and Stiles looked up to see Derek standing there, arms crossed. “Laura. Stop scaring Stiles away,” Derek almost growled. 

 

“Alright, alright,” Laura replied, putting her arms up in mock surrender. Stiles took the opportunity to extricate himself from her bear hug (wow, was she strong) to pick up one of his boxes and walk towards Derek.

 

“So, um, where should I put this?” He asked.

 

A little while later, he’d finally settled into Derek’s room - oh wait,  _ their _ room now. It felt weird as hell to have his clothes hung next to ones that were so monotone, not after Heather’s more colorful ones. 

 

Another flash of guilt went through him. He’d left her a message last night, going something like, “Hey Heather, I’m terribly sorry but I can’t marry you. I know I’m being unfair to you. I’d really like to meet up to explain everything to you in person. Please call me back when you’re ready...”, but it felt like it still wasn’t enough. He sighed.

 

“Stiles, hey, are you alright?” A voice came from behind - Derek. He looked adorably worried. 

 

Stiles put on a cheery smile and responded, “Yeah, I’m fine! Just tired from all that moving around. Soooo...what’s the plan for tonight? Dinner with your parents?”

 

“Not just them, my sisters and my uncle too. My mom’s invited your parents over too. Don’t worry, it’ll just be a casual thing.”

 

Right. Because that wouldn’t be awkward  _ at all _ .

 

~~~~~

 

The doorbell rang, a distant sound.  _ Shit _ , that had to be his parents! Stiles took the stairs two at a time, hastily leaping down them. However, by the time he’d got to the front door, Talia Hale was already opening the door, revealing his parents.

 

“Mom, dad! Hi!” Stiles called out. He could see the thinly veiled surprise on their faces when they spotted him.

 

After Talia showed them the dining room and mostly left them to their own devices while they waited for the rest of the Hales, his parents pulled him aside. “Stiles! What is this all about? I get a message from Talia saying that she wants to meet us for dinner, but...you’re here?” His dad questioned.

 

Stiles gave his dad a sheepish smile, scratching his head at the same time. “Uhhh, well, dad, it’s kind of a long story butttt to cut it really short, I’m engaged to Derek Hale!”

 

At that, his parents’ eyes bugged out. “Look, I’ll explain it all later, just accept it for now? And if you could, please act normal.”

 

His dad looked like he wanted to say more on the matter - not that Stiles would blame him; he was barely wrapping his head around all this himself - but his mom tapped his dad on the arm and tilted her head towards the dining room door. Oh, the rest of the Hales were streaming into the room. Including Derek, who saw Stiles with his parents and raised a questioning eyebrow. Stiles responded with what he hoped was a reassuring smile and mouthed  _ I’m fine _ . 

 

After mandatory introductions were made, the conversation slowly moved from stilted to friendly. In a big family like the Hales, there was always something to talk about; conversation began to flow smoothly from topic to topic. The parents even started exchanging embarrassing stories about Derek and Stiles’ childhood, which, safe to say, neither Derek nor Stiles wanted to hear much about. Derek’s sisters were of course, laughing uproariously at whatever stupid things Stiles did during his childhood, and even chimed in with their own anecdotes growing up with Derek occasionally. Even Peter cracked a smile every now and then. 

 

Stiles was almost tempted to say the dinner was turning out to be a success...until suddenly it wasn’t. Stiles’ parents were recounting a story of one of their weekly game nights which they’d found comical. “So then Heather, Stiles’ ex-fiancé--” 

 

The rest of his parents story was lost to his ears as there was a sharp scrape of a chair against the floor. He turned toward the sound, surprised. Why was Derek getting up? Then he saw Derek’s face. He looked like he’d been slapped, and then looked at Stiles with the angriest expression Stiles’d ever seen on that face.

 

“I- I have to go,” Derek stuttered out and stalked out of the room. 

 

For a moment, the room was stunned into silence. 

 

Stiles pushed back his chair, gesturing towards the door Derek had left from. He  _ should _ follow Derek right? After all, that was basically his duty now... “I'm just gonna go-- see if it's alright.”

 

When he went through the door, he saw Derek standing at the far corner of the hallway, staring out of the window. Carefully, he approached Derek. 

 

“Derek?” He called out cautiously. When Derek hears him, he turns furiously on Stiles. 

 

“Who’s Heather?” Derek demanded.

 

“She’s- my ex-fiancé...” He answered haltingly.

 

“Your ex- _ fiancé _ ? You two were engaged, and you didn't think it important enough to let me _ know _ ?” 

 

“Derek, look, it's over between her and I. I promise okay? In fact...” He hesitated, before pulling the makeshift ring out his pocket. “I actually made this for you. It's stupid but I figured... What could be more crazy than what we’ve been doing?” Awkwardly, he thrust out the ring to Derek, who slowly took it from his hand. 

 

A small smile blossomed on Derek’s face, and a weird fluttery feeling grew low in Stiles’ stomach. It felt like a promise. 

 

“Come on, we’d better get back, I think we’ve made enough of a scene as is.” Stiles suggested. 

  
  


~~~~~

 

Derek couldn’t remember ever having been so exhausted. The last 24 hours had been an emotional roller coaster and he wanted to hide in bed and sleep for the next week. Unfortunately having a fiancé meant he wouldn’t get to disappear on his own anymore, at least not longer than an afternoon.

 

It would be weird, he decided as he brushed his teeth, sleeping in the same bed with a practical stranger. Even though Stiles didn’t feel like that much of a stranger before. Derek suspected it was because he talked so much that made him feel like he had already known him for a long time.

 

He could hear him moving about his ro–  _ their _ room, humming softly to himself and muttering the odd comment in between. Derek would have to get him to be quieter somehow but he didn’t know how to get him to shut his mouth without outright telling him that everyone in the house could hear everything. Then again he had a feeling that wouldn’t stop him from talking anyway.

 

This was ridiculous, wasn’t it? Strangers didn’t usually get married first and then fall in love and live happily ever after. It just didn’t work that way. This was real life and not a fairy tale. Everything was going so fast. Derek didn’t do fast. He was as slow as a snail. He took his time to get to know someone, and he took his time falling in love with them. He wasn’t as spontaneous and impulsive as this. It was ridiculous.

 

“Derek?” Stiles called from the room, ripping him out of his thoughts. He glanced over at the reflection of the doorway. Without bothering to spit out the foaming toothpaste he padded back to the room – walking into Stiles changing for bed. Derek nearly choked and swiveled, throat dry as he pulled his toothbrush out of his mouth.

 

“I… uhm, I-I’m sorry! I didn- I mean,” he stuttered, his face feeling as if it had erupted into flames. He hadn’t wasted any thoughts on the agreement they had beyond the actual ceremony. It hadn’t occurred to him that they would be engaging in coupley things. He hadn’t expected to want anything more.

 

“No, it’s okay. You’re, well, you’re supposed to look… and tell me if you like what you see,” Stiles said from behind him. 

 

Derek struggled to keep a straight face and not swallow the froth in his mouth but it was no problem at all to bring his gaze back to Stiles’ toned body. He was wearing nothing but black boxer briefs that hugged him snugly and Derek’s leather jacket.  _ Derek’s jacket –  _ like he was trying to mark himself as Derek’s like he knew what he was doing to win Derek over. There was the light hint of anxiety beneath the richness of Stiles’ scent but all that Derek could think of was the freckled skin that stretched for miles, so very pale in contrast with the black leather.

 

Stiles bit his lip as he stepped forward, eyes flickering up to meet Derek’s, unsure at first, gaining courage as he closed the distance between them. Derek’s nostrils flared at the overpowering effect on his senses. He could feel the wolf inside him climbing to the surface, a growl rising in his throat and eyes burning. His heart was racing while he was frozen in place, watching Stiles play with the sleeves of the jacket and giving his best seductive look. It was a good look. A  _ very _ good look. Especially when Stiles’ gaze flickered down to his lips, his tongue coming out to wet his own. Stiles’ mouth stayed parted on a hard breath out and everything in Derek screamed,  _ mine _ .

 

It was only when his back hit the wall that he realized he had been backing up. Nonetheless, Stiles had kept up his pace and was just an arm’s length away. Derek could feel the heat coming off of him. There was nowhere to escape to as Stiles reached up and brushed a finger over his lip, catching some of the toothpaste and sucking it off of his thumb.

 

“Mhhh, minty,” he hummed, his tone low and throaty. Derek cleared his throat, squirming but unable to tear his eyes away.

 

“That’s uh, toothpaste for you, eh?” he forced out. It was the most awkward thing right then to be talking around a mouthful of toothpaste.

 

“Very refreshing,” Stiles grinned at him.

 

“Stiles- um, we should-“

 

“Very sexy,” Stiles continued with a slight drawl. 

 

Derek’s eyebrows knitted themselves together. “Toothpaste?” He asked. “Tonight’s really no-“

 

“Mhm. Everything turns me on, to be honest,” Stiles told him, taking another step closer. “Even honey.” 

 

He tilted his head. Derek wished he didn’t have to hear Cora giggling downstairs. He had to get Stiles to stop somehow. “The walls are r-“

 

“So… do you?” Stiles asked, his tongue swiping over that sweet pink mouth again. “I mean, I- I very much like what I see. But...” His gaze trailed down Derek’s chest and then back up. “What do you say about all this?”

 

Derek couldn’t tell if he was even still breathing, the air overcharged with the spice of their mixing scents.

 

“Because, you know… I’m all yours.” 

 

Derek was so tense at that point that it uncharged in the most horrific way the moment that Stiles’ hand came into contact with his chest, leaning up toward him. This time, he actually choked and ended up spitting all of the toothpaste into Stiles’ face.

 

“Ack!” Stiles cried out, stumbling back as his hands flew to his eyes.

 

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry!”

 

“It’s in my eyes!”

 

“I really didn’t- I’m so so sorry, Stiles!”

 

“Fuck, it hurts!”

 

“I- I swallowed some,” Derek said, his helpless hands hovering around Stiles but not daring to touch just in case he made it worse.

 

“It really stings!” Stiles hissed, wiping at his face and struggling to blink.

 

“The bathroom! You should go to the bathroom.

 

“Wha… where is the bathroom?”

 

“Here, just- this way, yeah.” Derek placed a hand on his shoulder and guided him over to the sink, turning the faucet on for him.

 

Stiles slipped the leather jacket off first, hanging it up before he bent over to rinse his eyes. Derek watched from a few steps away, mortified at what he had done and felt even more guilty for enjoying the nice shape of Stiles’ curved back and- he stopped his gaze from going further.

 

“I should go get some saline,” he blurted out. Anything to get him out of this awkward situation.

 

“No! That’s okay. I’m fine!” Stiles insisted, tilting his head over to smile at Derek. He still couldn’t open his eyes though and went back to rinsing, proving he was not fine.

 

“Definitely should get some saline. Or eye drops,” Derek said, taking one step back.

 

“I told you, I’m fine! No need for saline or eye drops or anything. This is nothing. I’ll be right back with you in a just a minute, I promise. I just need- need one moment. We’ll pick up where we stopped.”

 

“Eye drops,” Derek muttered, slipping out of the room while Stiles was still busy.

 

He had to endure some teasing and laughter when he went on the hunt for the eye drops but it was only thanks to the pack that his embarrassment died down enough for him to dare go back to the room. Stiles was already reclined on the bed under the covers at this point – thankfully with a shirt on – and Derek apologized again as he handed the drops to him.

 

“Thanks,” Stiles said as he accepted the small bottle. “I’m gonna be fine. I already am, really. Doesn’t hurt anymore. I just- I’m sorry I… that was just kind of pathetic.” Stiles winced slightly as he stared at the blanket that he was picking at. 

 

Derek hoped that he was successful in steeling himself against the blush that he could feel creeping up on him. “We can just forget about it,” he suggested. 

 

While Stiles put in the eye drops, Derek changed into sweats and an old, worn t-shirt. Then he made his way over to slip into bed as well.

 

“Good. Yes. That is a brilliant idea. You are a genius, Derek Hale,” Stiles said brightly. “And I am just beat so I’m going to go to sleep before I do anything else stupid. So, goodnight and sweet dreams… Oh and if I start sleepwalking or talking about dogs with wings or a mustache, or anything star wars – don’t worry about it. I’m just kind of a restless sleeper.” 

 

With that Stiles burrowed down and closed his eyes.

 

“I wish you a good night too, Stiles.” And if Derek turned toward him when he settled for sleep just so he could take more of his scent in, no one would ever be the wiser.

 

~~~~~

 

“Don't you have anything you want to tell me?” Stiles asked ten minutes into their walk.

 

“Um, do I?”

 

“I don't know. Do you?”

 

“Yeah. Yeah, actually I do... You look really nice today.”

 

“You're a real jerk. A real sour...person”

 

It wasn’t a date, per se. It was just spending some time together, like the day they had met. Stiles had suggested going to for some air, and Derek had agreed to take a walk down to the creek. Stiles was quieter than usual and it was unnerving. Something was wrong. While they did joke when insulting each other - Stiles said that that was the only genuine sign of true affection and apparently they had quite a good thing going here - this time it was less playful and more serious. Derek kept glancing over and trying to read his thoughts out of the creases on Stiles’ forehead or the twitch of his lips. If only he knew what was wrong he could try to fix it.

 

He tried thinking back to everything he had done in the past few hours but Stiles had seemed fine earlier.

 

“Oh my god, look! Look over there! Ducklings and their momma. Aww. They're so adorable. Do you think we can get closer?” Stiles whispered, the tension dissolving in an instant. Then he was off, leaving Derek's side to head toward the animals. Derek hesitated for a second, his mood not so easily persuaded to change. Ducklings would not smooth out things between them.

 

The mother ushered her babies into the water and away from the bank as Stiles got closer but they lingered nearby. Stiles crouched down and made himself less of a threat, voice surprisingly gentle.

 

“Mama duck, you like Louise? You look like a Louise. That's a nice name, isn't it? I like Louise. If Lydia had a twin her name would probably be Louise, don't you think?” 

 

Derek knew that Stiles wasn't talking to him but something stirred in his stomach anyway. Stiles had talked about Lydia before, describing her as a strawberry blonde goddess that graced the ground he walked on. Stiles had called Derek an Adonis on a separate occasion and Derek had told him to shut up and rolled his eyes. So he wasn't jealous. He just thought it was unfair that Stiles thought about someone else so much when he was getting married to him.

 

“And you little sir, I hereby dub thee Roscoe. You will be Lady Madeline. You’re William, and you're Alanna, and then we have Rosa, Jaime, Marc and...and Roscoe, The Second.” 

 

Stiles pointed to each fluffed up little bird floating in the water, and Derek could see him getting so attached to them that he would end up asking to take them home with them. He snorted at Stiles’ choice of names, though.

 

“Roscoe, The Second?” Derek asked, raising an eyebrow to underline his judgment when Stiles turned to look at him. 

 

“Yes,” he replied pointedly. “Roscoe is a great name. They're both gonna be very happy with it. Everyone would be happy if they were named Roscoe. Everyone and everything. Maybe I should start calling you Roscoe so you understand.”

 

Derek scowled. “You can't just name everything Roscoe.”

 

“Oh yeah? Who's going to stop me? You?” The challenge in Stiles’ voice was too prominent to be harmless. Derek didn't want to argue but he could feel it coming.

 

“I don't think anyone could stop you if you really wanted to do something,” he said.

 

“Oh. Right. Right. That's how it is.”

 

“What?”

 

“Oh, nothing. It's nothing. You're totally right. I'm way ahead of you. Way more powerful than you and everyone. Scrawny little human me. I can make anyone bow down to my bidding. My word is law.” Stiles stood up and turned back to Derek as the bitterness grew in his voice. His mouth was tipped downward in a rare frown.

 

Derek wished he could turn tail and run - anything to avoid this confrontation. He couldn't though. Not with the way Stiles had said ‘human’. Did he know? Was that possible? Is that what he was upset about? But why would he stay so long without saying anything if he hated werewolves?

 

Stiles was waiting for a reply, staring at him with a dare in his eyes. It was like stepping into a minefield, trying to find the right words to say at this point. Derek opened his mouth only to stare at Stiles a little longer.

 

“What… exactly is this about?” He eventually settled on, the insecurity more audible than he had hoped for.

 

“Fucking hell, you're so- Do you even want this, Derek? Any of this?”

 

“Yeah? We had a deal.”

 

“Well, it doesn't feel like it! It feels like I'm in this on my own. It feels like I'm forcing you to go through with this because I'm so selfish and inconsiderate.”

 

“No, that's not h-”

 

“And you, you just bear with me. You're not even trying. I told you everything about my life, about myself- even the really embarrassing parts! You just stand there, a foot away and don’t even smile. You lie to me all the time!”

 

“I have never lied to you,” Derek said. It was the only thing he could defend in that moment because Stiles was right. He had barely given anything back.

 

“But you keep secrets! Like the fact that you're a freaking werewolf? I told you that I love mythology and all that shit - I mean, I am a part of an online gaming community that battles mythical creatures. I wanna know all about it. You know Scott’s a werewolf, right? My best friend. I want to be part of all that crazy stuff. Or I would have if you just would have told me.”

 

“It's not that easy…”

 

“Were you ever going to tell me?” Stiles asked, throwing his arms up. He paused for a second, eyes searching Derek’s guarded expression before he crossed his arms. “I thought so. You were never planning on going through with this. You lead me on and I am the idiot who believed you.”

 

“That's not true! I am still in this. I wasn't leading you on.”

 

Stiles’ laugh was bitter, his expression pinched. “You can stop lying now, Derek. I'll leave, okay? I'll leave - right now. And leave you to your super secret werewolfy stuff and your girlfriend.”

 

“What girlfriend? What are you talking about?”

 

“That girl. Long brown hair, cute smile - the one you keep a picture of in your bedside table.”

 

“Stiles, that's- we broke up over a year ago. She dumped me.”

 

“And yet you still keep her picture by your bed. Can you at least just stop with the lies? Just because I'm human doesn't mean that I'm fragile and you get to play the bigger person by handling me all careful and telling me stupid stuff. Being a werewolf does not give you more rights.”

 

“That’s all- that's all bullshit! I'm not lying and I don't pity you and I, for sure, don't act like I'm any better!”

 

“Keep telling yourself that,” Stiles snorted. “You know, I really thought if I ever met any other mythical creatures that they would be much cooler and better than humans but you're not. You're exactly the same… except you're part wolf and think you get to do whatever you want with us humans. I get why that girl broke up with you. I do. You're such an asshole. A freak.”

 

Derek went into this argument with guilt. He'd understood Stiles point and he'd racked his brain for a solution. But every one of Stiles’ angry words hit him a little too deep. The last word specifically tipped his frustration into hurt and anger and his whole demeanor changed.

 

“Freak?” He snapped.”Freak? I'm the freak? What kind of person accepts a marriage proposal from a complete stranger!”

 

“Well, what kind of a person asks? A freak!”

 

“Stop calling me a freak!” Derek growled. He had to fight down the light awe he felt for Stiles when he didn't flinch at the sound.

 

“Stop being one, you freak!”

 

Derek squared his jaw. Verbal conflicts were most definitely not his forte and he did not need this. Stiles could curse him out every day of the week, so before that could happen he just had to leave. A random marriage proposal to a stranger - how had they ever thought that would work in the first place?

 

Derek wouldn't say he was a dramatic person. He was low-key in everything he did - in his opinion anyway. So he would allow himself this, no matter how cliche. Instead of replying to Stiles, he looked down, brushing a thumb over the ring on his left hand. It was just a recycled wire, obviously self-made, bent into shape and kind of uncomfortable. Derek didn't know how in the world it had grown on him.

 

Twisting the ring - if you could even call it that, he thought bitterly - off of his finger, he brought his gaze up again to lock it with Stiles’ then flung the ring onto the forest floor. He imagined seeing Stiles wince although he couldn't fathom what reason there could be for that when Stiles thought he was such a freak anyway.

 

Whatever. He wouldn't give Stiles another moment of his time, wouldn't even spare him a thought from now on. Spinning on his heel,Derek walked away. It took more out of him than he had thought, every step weighing his chest down more. But he fought to keep his resolve and walk away with dignity instead of breaking out into a run, or - which was most certainly not a possibility, he didn't even know why it came to mind - go back.

 

Derek just kept walking.

 

~~~~~

 

After a few hours spent in the preserve - exercising and burning off energy, as well as taking the time to calm down - and after mentally going through everything that had happened that week over and over again, Derek came to conclusion that things had gone pretty well considering their situation. There had been fights and inconveniences but they had never overshadowed the good moments. Even now, the memory of Stiles’ sense of humor and his laughter, his easygoing and light personality, as well as his stubbornness, made Derek smile fondly. It would be a shame to give up on all that just because of one little fight. How often had he argued with Paige and still stuck it out with her? Because he loved her?

 

He liked Stiles enough to be willing to stick it out with him too. He was willing to work for this; for their relationship. It wasn't just about getting married anymore. They didn't even have to get married for a long time. They could get to know each other better and work their way up to it.

 

Derek didn't know if Stiles still wanted anything to do with him anymore but he wasn't going to give up on him without giving I his best shot. He made a detour on his way back to the house so he could snatch a light piece of metal and bend it into shape to make up for the ring he had tossed.

 

Stiles was inside the house, his angry footsteps greeting Derek as he jogged up to the building. Derek hesitated outside for a minute to catch his breath, debating briefly if he wanted to grab a quick shower before he talked to Stiles because he was sweaty. That gave Stiles too much time to escape though. No, he had to do this right away.

 

Derek slipped off his shoes and bypassed his mother in the kitchen, heading straight up the staircase. Laura came to meet him at the top with crossed arms.

 

“What did you do?” She whispered furiously. “He's absolutely pissed. He's packing his things right now.” That only made the panic settle deeper in Derek's gut. He had been the one to walk away first but the thought of Stiles leaving- that just… it didn't feel right at all.

 

“Why the fuck won't anyone answer the phone right when I need them most?” They heard Stiles curse from down the hallway.

 

“I'll fix it, Laura.”

 

“You better,” she said and Derek smiled at her, glad that he wasn't the only one who had gotten accustomed to having Stiles around. He didn't waste anymore time and walked over to their bedroom, stepping inside. Stiles was balancing a phone between his shoulder and cheek while dumping his things into his bag. He wasn't bothering to fold or sort anything nicely and threw the last piece of clothing in his hands inside with even more spite after having looked up to Derek.

 

“I just need to pack up my shit and you'll never see me again,” Stiles said and immediately turned away again, angling his head into the phone. “Yeah. Hi. Can I get a taxi, please?” Finally grabbing the phone with a hand, he held it away as he was forced to glance at Derek.

 

“What is the address?”

 

“Just tell them to follow the road out to the preserve,” Derek started after a moment's hesitation, deciding not to be so cruel as to keep it from him.

 

“It's out on the road to the nature preserve,” Stiles repeated into the speaker and gave Derek a pointed look.

 

“And take a right turn at…” Derek sighed. This wasn't the way he had planned his speech to go but he hoped open honesty would do the trick as well. “Don't go.”

 

“And then a right at- what?” Stiles finally stopped his frantic moving about, disbelief woven into his astounded facial expression when he looked at Derek.

 

“I like you and I don't want you to go.” Derek's heart was hammering away in his chest but as scary as it was to admit his feelings it was just as much of a relief.

 

“Hold on,” Stiles breathed into the phone before setting it down on the counter. His movements were stiff. “What did you say?”

 

Derek took a deep breath, gaze falling away for a second but finding Stiles’ again as he spoke.

 

“I like you and I don't want you to go.”

 

Stiles scoffed as he crossed his arms, eyes narrowing. 

 

“You don't like me.” 

 

His tone was hardened, the level of irritation around him was growing. It was the way that Stiles was so convinced of his own words that offended Derek. Like Stiles knew exactly what was going on in his head and his heart. As if he hadn't thrown his life upside down in a matter of days. Like everything that had been through meant absolutely nothing at all.

 

“Don't tell me who I like. Screw you!”

 

“Oh my god! You’re such an ass. Screw you!” Stiles exclaimed, finally allowing his anger to break through again and glaring at Derek.

 

“Screw you!” Derek felt like a five year old throwing a tantrum about not wanting to go to bed.

 

“No, screw you!” It was Stiles who crossed the last few steps between them and jabbed a finger to Derek's chest.

 

“God, you're impossible! You are pig-headed. You are stubborn. You do everything to try amd get a rise out of me. What is that? Ever since I met you, I've been a total wreck. Even more of a wreck than usual. And screw you, I like you!” Derek had completely abandoned any script he had written in his head at this point. He wasn't even surprised. Everything with Stiles was wild and free of structure. That might just be what allowed him to be free to be himself.

 

“Yeah? Well, you're a liar! And you have horrible morning breath. And you could never have made it as a picture frame model. It is so cutthroat and so competitive. And ever since I met you, I've been feeling completely crazy. And I like you, too!”

 

So maybe they brought out the worst in each other and maybe they were both a little rough around the edges -

 

“Okay,” Derek nodded.

 

“Okay,” Stiles sighed and nodded in return.

 

-but the pieces fit, and they brought out the will in each other to become better. For each other and for themselves. 

 

“Okay.” Derek found the calm in Stiles’ eyes and let it spread through him with every breath. He felt Stiles relax as his shoulders slightly sagged

 

“Okay. So we like each other,” Stiles said, almost shy in a way Derek hadn't seen him before, like he wasn't sure about what to do next. This was Derek's moment to step up. So he fished the ring out of his pocket and dropped to one knee.

 

“So we like each other a lot. And we might still have a lot to learn- about each other and about us together. But I really want to make sure that happens. That we happen-”

 

“Oh, you're such a cheesewolf!” Stiles interrupted and Derek immediately felt himself flush but it was a welcome warmth. Stiles was grinning brightly and even laughed.

 

“Okay, I really want you to finish that speech in a moment but yes. Yes, I still want to marry you. You're stuck with me. Come ‘ere,” Stiles said, tugging at his hands to get him to rise again. Stiles held out his left hand and let Derek slip on the ring while he reached into his own pocket with the right. He brought out the other ring, the one Derek had thrown to the forest floor and Derek gaped.

 

“You took it with you,” he stated in surprise and Stiles shrugged as he slid it back onto Derek's finger, where it belonged.

 

“Yeah, well, I want us to happen to,” Stiles told him with a smile. He was still holding Derek's hand with a gentle and warm grip and Derek thought about how ridiculous this all was. Like the fact that they had two engagement rings instead of one, that they had jumped straight from strangers to fiancés without a single stop in between and that they were living together and had yet to experience their first kiss. It was crazier than having a drunk Las Vegas wedding with a stranger because they had both been fully sober the whole time. And yet it was the best thing Derek had ever done.

 

As he leaned forward to place a soft kiss to Stiles’ lips - his eavesdropping family be damned - he couldn't wait for the future and all its impending challenges. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! If you liked the fic, vote for Halesparks [here!](http://www.poll-maker.com/poll774626x7A844CF2-31)


End file.
